HCMC makes Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and Cach Mang Thang Tam one-way for over 3 years to build Tao Dan metro station

The HCMC Department of Construction has agreed on a plan to reorganize traffic in the city center to build station ST2 (Tao Dan station) on the Ben Thanh – Tham Luong metro line. Under the plan, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street from Cao Thang to Huyen Tran Cong Chua and Cach Mang Thang Tam Street from Nguyen Du to Nguyen Thi Minh Khai will become one-way for more than 3 years. On the morning of 17/9, signs for the new plan were installed on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street but remained covered, awaiting the official announcement.

Traffic diversion plan

• Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, from Cao Thang to Huyen Tran Cong Chua: one-way from Cao Thang towards Huyen Tran Cong Chua.
• Cach Mang Thang Tam, from Nguyen Du to Nguyen Thi Minh Khai: one-way from Nguyen Du towards Nguyen Thi Minh Khai.
• This is a main traffic axis in central HCMC; at rush hour, congestion often builds up in front of Tu Du Hospital, the Cach Mang Thang Tam intersection and the Truong Dinh intersection.
• On 17 September, the contractor was finishing a bypass road on Cach Mang Thang Tam Street to prepare the site for ST2 station.

Five construction phases of ST2 station

• Phase 1: build the bypass on the right side of Cach Mang Thang Tam (Ben Thanh towards Tham Luong), and build the diaphragm walls and temporary deck on the left side. The occupied area is about 21.9 x 310.5 m; the remaining carriageway is at least 8.5–9 m wide.
• Phase 2: build the bypass on the left side. The occupied area is about 24.6 x 314.1 m; the remaining road is at least 7.5 m wide.
• Phase 3: build the main station structure. The occupied area is about 24.5 x 279.7 m; the carriageway is at least 7.5 m wide.
• Phase 4: the occupied area shrinks to about 15.6 x 233.1 m; the carriageway is at least 9–10.8 m wide.
• Phase 5: remove the temporary station deck and reinstate Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, restoring a cross-section of about 14 m with two-way traffic as today.
• Total construction time for ST2 station is expected to be about 1,219 days, or roughly 3 years and 4 months.